Bitcoin ETF inflows reached $5.5 billion in the first half of December as the world’s largest cryptocurrency hit fresh all-time highs, according to data from U.K.-based asset manager Farside Investors.
The BlackRock-managed iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led with nearly $4.6 billion in inflows through mid-December, while Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) attracted over $976 million, the data showed.
The surge in interest comes as bitcoin set a new all time high of $108,268 Tuesday morning, with the cryptocurrency rising 19.5% over the past month, according to CoinMarketCap data.
John Plassard, senior investment specialist at Mirabaud Group, attributed the rise to “increased legitimacy and growing demand,” according to Morningstar research .
Bitcoin’s Growing Institutional Appeal
The Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) and ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) have accumulated over $102 million and $70 million in December flows respectively, Farside data revealed.
The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (GBTC) recorded over $507 million in outflows during the same period, while the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) attracted over $315 million, according to the data.
The smaller issuers in the space have also seen steady growth, with the VanEck Bitcoin ETF (HODL) and WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund (BTCW) collecting $11.4 million and $9.6 million, respectively, in December flows, Farside data showed.
Dovile Silenskyte, director of digital assets research at WisdomTree, told Morningstar that institutional investors increasingly view having no bitcoin allocation as “an active underweighting, rather than a neutral position.”
Adrian Fritz, head of research at 21Shares, suggested that the anticipated easing of monetary policy in 2025 could drive more liquidity into digital assets, according to Morningstar’s research.
Fritz added that major asset managers entering the space “have further legitimized bitcoin as a portfolio asset,” pointing to increased interest from private banks, hedge funds, and government pension funds, according to the Morningstar report.
Year-to-date, U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs have attracted over $36.2 billion in net inflows, with BlackRock’s IBIT leading at $36.3 billion, followed by Fidelity’s FBTC at $12.4 billion, Farside data showed.
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